This invention relates to disposable diapers and more particularly to disposable diapers having a cavity adapted to receive excretion.
Japanese Patent Application Disclosure Gazette (Kokai) No. Hei5-285174 discloses a disposable diaper comprising an opening formed in a topsheet lying inside the diaper in its transversely middle zone, a pair of flaps which extend laterally from transversely opposite side edges of the opening and elastic members provided along respective outer edges of the flaps. With this arrangement, the pair of flaps slope downward under the effect of the elastic members and facilitate excretion to flow into the opening.
With the above-mentioned diaper of prior art, the outer edges of the respective flaps are tightly placed against a wearer's body, for example, inguinal region and thereby a feces receiving pocket which is effective also to prevent excretion from leaking sideways. Even if the wearer's movement such as walking causes the diaper to shift in the wearer's crotch region, such movement will be absorbed by deformation of the flaps. Consequently, the flaps will have their outer side edges continuing to be tightly placed against the wearer's body substantially without formation of an undesirable gap which might cause body fluids to leak sideways. However, such effect can be obtained only when a movement of the diaper is as small as negligible since a sufficient contacting area is unavailable between the outer side edges and the wearer's skin. To ensure that the outer side edges of the flaps can be maintained in tight contact even when a movement of the diaper is relatively large, a stretching stress of the elastic members may be correspondingly increased. Such countermeasure, however, is inevitably limited because it may cause the elastic members to be uncomfortably pressed against the wearer's skin and create a feeling of discomfort against a wearer or even may adversely affect the normal blood circulation.